Spandau Ballet have shared an unearthed version of ’Glow’ that has not been heard since 1982 – listen below.
The New Romantic band are preparing to release the compilation album ‘Everything Is Now – Vol. 1: 197-1982′ on Friday (October 10) via Parlophone (pre-order here), and they have previewed it with a live version of ‘Glow’ that had been under wraps for 43 years.
It was recorded for a ‘BBC In Concert’ performance at the Paris Theatre in London’s Regent Street that was broadcast on 8 May 1982, and was a funked-up version of the band’s 1981 UK Top 10 single.
It was one of Spandau Ballet’s earliest singles and was recorded just too late to make the cut for their debut album, 1981’s ‘Journeys To Glory’. Listen to the unearthed live version here:
Guitarist Gary Kemp wrote ‘Glow’ and has said: “I sat with my guitar in my bedroom, and with the sound of the Fatback Band and Dr. Buzzard in my head, I ground out a groove and made an attempt to write a song that combined funk with the stark European music that we had created already. The result was ‘Glow’.”
“Steve [Norman], the most natural musician in the band, took to the congas and bongos as though he’d played them in an earlier life, and within a few days we had the song’s staccato groove hammering through our rehearsal room in London Bridge. We were desperate to record it and get it out, announcing our credentials and proving that we were at the epicentre of Soho nightlife.”
The nine-disc ‘Everything Is Now – Vol. 1: 1978-1982′ covers the early years of the band’s career, including their first two studio albums alongside a wealth of previously unavailable material. Also included is a 44-page book with original photos from Graham Smith and new commentary from the whole band. See the full tracklist here.
Elsewhere, frontman Tony Hadley recently opened up about the possibility of a Spandau Ballet reunion tour, saying, “I don’t think it would work. I haven’t seen Gary, Martin or John in eight years.”
We had some good times, but unfortunately there were some bad times as well. That’s just life. We had some good laughs on the last tour, then unfortunately John fell ill and it wasn’t the same without him. That was difficult. I wish Gary, Martin and John well, but I’m happy doing what I’m doing. I love the freedom I have now, the fact I can go from a bit of swing to a bit of rock. You can’t do that within the confines of a band.”
The singer last performed live with the band in 2017, with that tour being cut short when Hadley quit due to “circumstances beyond my control”. The remainder of the group did briefly continue without him, playing their final dates in 2019.
Shortly after Hadley quit, the band went on Good Morning Britain and explained that the door would not be open for him to return, but in an interview with NME earlier this year, Gary Kemp appeared to suggest that the tensions between the parties had eased.
